The living quarters construction for floating artefacts involves some specific difficulties, which do not apply to onshore construction. In particular, it is necessary to consider that those artefacts are in continuous movement, due to the waves. Therefore, the construction of any type of facilities on the deck of a vessel or on a platform must be executed, while paying special attention to safety terms and conditions, and as fast as possible. A fast construction also has advantages from other perspectives, because it minimizes construction costs and there are less risks involved for the operators.
Nowadays, several construction procedures for floating artefacts are well-known, based on the use of unitary modules which are built and conditioned onshore, and they are afterwards transported to the floating artefact for its erection on a structure made of beams and columns with certain holes, aimed for the insertion of the modules. This implies significant time and costs saving, because the onshore modules conditioning may be executed under controlled conditions at the manufacturer's factory. Apart from that, the number of tasks to be performed offshore, which are far more dangerous and complicated than those onshore, is minimized.
Document US2005/0155538 named “System and method in water-craft or other structure” describes a construction procedure for floating artefacts, based on unitary modules of the aforementioned type. As it has already been indicated, firstly, one structure made of beams and columns, provided with parallelepiped horizontal holes for the insertion of the unitary modules, is built. Afterwards, the modules are transported to the floating artefact and they are placed at the structure location. The insertion of the modules is performed sideways, and, after, those modules are fixated to the structure. Usually, it is done by using fixation components, such as screws or bolts, or by applying welding. This document displays the uniqueness of the modules being provided with certain specific holes, aimed for fitting them at the location and in the position in which certain beams of the structure are.
Document EP1454824, named “A method and cabin check arrangement in a large passenger vessel” describes one construction system, which is similar to the aforementioned one, in which the structure is built first and then the unitary modules are placed at their location. In this document, the sideways insertion of those unitary modules in the structure is also reported, together with their ulterior fixation, performed by welding, bolting or similar methods.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 2,499,498, named “Mobile housing unit” describes a construction procedure of a housing block, based on mobile units. Even though it is a procedure conceived for onshore construction, many of its characteristics are similar to those of the previously described procedures.